Indian envoys from across the globe began a four-day conclave here today to deliberate over the foreign policy challenges with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh emphasising that this was a time of "immense flux" in the world.
There will be particular focus on ties with China and Pakistan, which is a source of cross-border terror into India as 120 envoys brainstorm over foreign policy issues.
With neighbourhood in minds, Singh told the diplomats that India recognises that the Indian sub-continent's shared destiny requires greater regional cooperation and connectivity.
He also enumerated five principles, which according to him, have come to define India's foreign policy and said India's relations with the world -both major powers and our Asian neighbours- are increasingly shaped by our developmental priorities.
"The single most important objective of Indian foreign policy has to be to create a global environment conducive to the well-being of our great country. Second, that greater integration with the world economy will benefit India and enable our people to realise their creative potential," he told the diplomats.
Third, India seeks stable, long term and mutually beneficial relations with all major powers, Singh said, adding India was prepared to work with the international community to create a global economic and security environment beneficial to all nations.
"Our foreign policy is not defined merely by our interests, but also by the values which are very dear to our people," he said, adding his government has sought to engineer a fundamental reset in the foreign policy based on national priorities.
Over these past nine years, the government has sought to engineer a fundamental reset in the foreign policy based on national priorities and what it believes is India's role and destiny in world affairs, the Prime Minister said.
Crediting the envoys for working with modest resources and often in difficult and dangerous circumstances, he said they were functioning in an environment of rising expectations and relentless public scrutiny.
